Pros and Cons

[Janet]

@RAyers

I suggest not arguing with an experienced motorcycle racer and equestrian official.

Thanks for the support. In this instance it is my many more years (I started when I was 12) of being a motorcycle raodracing corner worker / safety crew (rather than as a racer myself), and watching lots of OTHER people crash that drives my observations.

In terms of airbags, one of the biggest things to reduce injuries in motorcycle roadracing is the use of Air Fence (basically a giant airbag) in front of anything you might run INTO at the track.

For instance see https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/video-airfence-saves-lives/. If you don’t want to listen to the whole backstory on the video, jump forward to about 3min 33 sec to see AirFence in action.

That is the kind of crash that, in the years before Airfence, killed racers. Corey missed one race.

I only know the rider in the video, Corey Alexander, a little - I met him this year at Daytona, where he finished well - but I used to race against his uncle, Richie Aleander Jr, and bought helmets, gloves, boots, etc. from his grandfather Richie Alexander Sr., so I know the family.

[fivestrideline]

@NoSuchPerson

One of the problems with these air vest discussions is that everybody immediately starts talking about eventers and riding at speed and jumping big jumps. But, people rarely acknowledge that there are distinctly different groups of air vest users (or potential air vest users) with distinctly different needs and for whom the benefits and risks are also distinctly different and are weighted differently in the assessment.

This is a great point. Most of the air vest users I know personally are regular inhabitants of the 2’6"-3’ rings, and going fast is NOT the plan. And the jumps come down. Most of the falls are slower speed, riders getting popped off or sliding off the side. 90% of my own falls have been hip-first impacts from a horse spinning out from under me (and I am sporting a NASTY bruise from one as we speak). An air vest would just soften the landing of the rest of me, and from my understanding these are the types of falls the air vest is best for.

I know someone who broke their back in 3 places over a tadpole log while wearing a traditional safety vest so… YMMV.

[NoSuchPerson]

Yes. I am an increasingly heat-intolerant old lady with gradually decreasing bone density whose happy place is doing the add down a line of 2’ fences. My risk-benefit profile bears no resemblance to that of a higher level eventer. I haven’t seen or heard anything that suggests that an air vest is not a good choice for me.

I have a regular protective vest but I can’t wear it anymore, unless it’s quite cold outside, because I get too hot.

[Calvincrowe]

As a similar rider to NoSuchPerson, they iterate my reasoning for an airbag vest vs a standard vest (which I wore for years). The risks for each discipline are unique and should be addressed with whatever safety equipment is appropriate. Nothing will ‘save’ you in all circumstances so my mantra is ‘something is better than nothing’. And, after all, we all ride at our own risk.

[RAyers]

Again, it is not the speed that causes the falls or injuries! We proved that as part of the USEA Speed Study done 15 years ago. Also, it is NOT the fence height either. So please refrain from using that as a point of context. Your own post shows speed and fence height is NOT an issue.

We can use eventers and jockeys as examples because they have been using protective vests for over 30 years and thus there at least is some understanding of if they work.

[fivestrideline]

@RAyers

So please refrain from using that as a point of context.

That’s exactly what my post was saying - what matters is how one may typically fall. And that no vest can guarantee 100% protection from the type of injury they’re supposed to reduce.

Perhaps I wasn’t very clear!

[Janet]

@RAyers

Again, it is not the speed that causes the falls or injuries!

Yes. My worst horse related injury (6 cracked ribs) was at a very slow walk when my 16h horse stumbled while beginning to cross a stream. She was about 2 feet above the bottom of the stream when she stumbled. And that is one an airvest MIGHT have helped.

[MHM]

One thing I find interesting is how many very young kids on ponies are wearing vests in the show ring these days. I sort of wonder if the kids actually want to wear the vests, or if the parents think it’s going to make the activity safer for their kids, or if it’s a trainer/barn policy, or what.

I have not known that many young kids who ever thought for one second that they might get hurt. Lol.

[Calvincrowe]

There are risk-averse kids-- but it’s mostly parents who want to provide the best chance to not get gravely (or even minorly) injured in this high-risk sport. Also, with pros and top riders wearing them, the role model-I want to be like them-influencer aspect comes into it, as well.

In our barn, most of the juniors wear an air vest every ride, flat or jumping. I’ve watched two come off- one nasty spook and one prop and stop and flop. Both kids hopped up, deflated, and got back on.

[Rumorhasit93]

Considering I peed my pants that day, I think it was from the fall I also hadn’t fallen before that for some time. It was T12.

RE rolling over (for the others), it was very easy to move in my vest after. I was able to roll over and sit up, until I realized I shouldn’t stand.

I’m not saying it’s a definite that my situation could’ve been worse or better with or without the vest, I just know landing on the airbag felt better than landing on that gravel.

[IPEsq]

I’ve wondered about that too. And are the kids large enough? Could the inflation of the vest itself cause serious damage on a small person, like an airbag in a car?

I’ve mentioned it before on other threads, but I don’t come detached from the horse all too often anymore, and most of the time, I have some time to make a little bit of a bail out plan and it isn’t at high speed. There are some exceptions, but I am also a very sticky rider, and there are some types of horses I just won’t ride anymore. So in the past 25 years, when I crash, horse is going down too about 1/3 of the time (based on my 6 falls in that time frame, 2 being horse falls), and I may or may not separate from the horse enough / early enough for an airbag vest to do anything much. A hard shell would probably have saved some ribs in one of those.

[vxf111]

How do y’all remember to unhook before dismounting? How? Am I the only old dog who is certain she cannot learn that new trick?

[Mallard]

I have tied a small piece of bright orange surveyors tape on the clip to give me a visual reminder.

[Peggy]

@IPEsq

And are the kids large enough?

They aren’t suggested for small children due to minimum trigger weights, typical heights of mounts for small children, size availability, and likelihood of child remembering to unclip and clip vests. Video from Ride Equisafe.

@IPEsq

may or may not separate from the horse enough / early enough for an airbag vest to do anything much

I was on a horse that slipped in the road after spooking at a dog on a recently slurry-sealed road. We were pretty close to the ground when we separated (I probably could have touched the ground with an extended arm). The vest activated and inflated very rapidly. My neck was cradled so my head didn’t slam sideways into the ground. My ribs and hips were protected. The only thing that hurt afterwards was my knee and calf that were briefly under the horse. I really don’t think the vest impaired my ability to roll away; there simply wasn’t time and I had the same thing happen once while riding vest-less (and helmet-less as it was a LONG time ago). I realize that this is an “n” of 1.

@vxf111

How do y’all remember to unhook before dismounting?

Consistency. Pattern. I clip my lanyard hook back on the vest after I unclip it so there are two actions before I get off.

[HorseLover10]

With respect to your specific question, fit is everything, so while it is great to gather opinions and information from others, nothing beats a vest that fits YOU perfectly.

I have a short torso and the Free Jump Penelope air vest fits me really well. I don’t notice it when I’m riding and it doesn’t rub my neck.

I would reach out to Catherine at Ride Equisafe for a fitting before you buy. She will take your measurements and make suggestions.

Ride EquiSafe - Ride Confident. Ride Secure. Ride EquiSafe.

[ridernc]

I have been neutral on airvests in the past, mostly due to anecdotal evidence I’ve heard from friends and acquaintances, much of what has been posted here. However, I recently had the opportunity to be fit by Ride EquiSafe for a vest as well as trial an inflation of that vest. If you have never had an airvest inflate on you, I would highly recommend seeking out that opportunity (in a controlled environment!). It really helps to answer a lot of the questions about speed to inflation, mobility, etc. It’s also worth noting that not all airvests are the same, so it’s worth trying a few different styles to get the fit, coverage, closure, release strap, canister replacement, etc. that works best for you.

I haven’t had to use my vest thankfully, but I do think there is something to be said for experiencing it firsthand.

[BeeHoney]

@Peggy

Not sure why anyone would wear a vest for fashion. But weirder things have happened, or even been deemed fashionable, so who knows.

Yes, it’s mysterious. If the data shows that there is no overall safety advantage to wearing an air vest and that in fact over larger numbers of falls they can be related to worse outcomes, then why exactly ARE people wearing them?

Fashion? Superstition? Susceptibility to good marketing? An emotional bias towards anecdotal evidence over actual data? I couldn’t say. It’s especially weird when there is a similar (although less fashionable) alternative–the traditional safety vest–that DOES have evidence supporting its benefit.

[fivestrideline]

@BeeHoney

If the data shows that there is no overall safety advantage to wearing an air vest and that in fact over larger numbers of falls they can be related to worse outcomes, then why exactly ARE people wearing them?

What data is this? I’m genuinely curious. I don’t own a vest, of any kind, but am open to it.

My understanding is that we don’t have enough data about air vests to make the claims in this post - or really any claims good or bad. We have slightly more information on the hard shell/foam vests, and a whole lot of anecdotal information on air.

[NoSuchPerson]

@BeeHoney

If the data shows that there is no overall safety advantage to wearing an air vest and that in fact over larger numbers of falls they can be related to worse outcomes, then why exactly ARE people wearing them?

But what kind of data are being collected? Which riders and in what venues? Upper level eventers in USEF/FEI competitions? Is anybody collecting data on old ladies riding at home? People riding on trails? People at the local unrated H/J show where the biggest classes are those jumping 2’3"?

When you are collecting data only in limited settings on limited kinds of riders, you can’t assume that conclusions based on those data apply universally to other settings and other riders.

As I already said, I have looked at all the available information on air vests and have seen nothing that suggests that they aren’t a good choice for ME.

[HipNo34]

I think I know what you’re talking about.

I seem to recall a jockey writing something about it – maybe in Australia?

Hang on.

I guess I didn’t need to write my thoughts there re “Hang on”

Here – the Paulick Report referencing an Australian opinion piece (which cites a 2014 study based on insurance claim data):

https://paulickreport.com/news/opinion-hall-of-fame-jockey-believes-safety-vests-result-in-more-serious-head-neck-and-back-injuries